Apr. 11, 2012

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News that George Zimmerman was being charged in the death of Trayvon Martin was a relief for Alison Segar, a Burlington resident who helped organize a local rally in support of Martin earlier this month.

“Thank God for that,” Segar said about the charging decision, adding that she does not believe Zimmerman’s claim of self defense. “I believe this was racial profiling of the worst kind, and he needs to stand trial.”

Dante Seguino, another organizer of the Burlington rally, also was relieved to see charges against Zimmerman.

“It’s just what had to happen,” Seguino said. “It wouldn’t have sat right with the majority of people if nothing had been done.”

He added: “It’s appalling that it went so far without anything being done for the most part.”

As a young black man, Seguino said he followed the case closely and found it weighing heavily on him.

“It’s something that emotionally is a lot to deal with,” he said. “Just knowing that you can be killed essentially for sort of perceptions of you in the world we live in. It hasn’t taught me anything new. I’ve known this my whole life. It’s just more than anything a refresher and sort of inspiration to fight these sorts of situations in the future.”

Out on Church Street shortly after a prosecutor said Zimmerman was being charged with second-degree murder, people were just learning of the developments. Ben Winrock, a 17-year-old Burlington resident, said no one really knows what happened that night in Florida except Zimmerman, and people need to “butt out.” He doesn’t believe the case deserves as much attention as it’s been getting, he added.

“It’s not our problem,” he said.

Others saw it differently.

Nathan Williams of Burlington said he thinks the charge against Zimmerman is not stiff enough.

“I really believe it should be first-degree murder, because the man provoked (Martin) by following him,” Williams said, referring to what happened the night Martin was shot by Zimmerman, a neighborhood-watch volunteer who was patrolling the streets near his house.

If Zimmerman hadn’t followed Martin, the teen “would probably still be alive,” Williams said.

He hopes the tension around the case will ease as it moves through the judicial system: “Right now it’s got everybody pretty uptight, all around the country.”